The State Marriage Protection Amendment, up for a referendum in the fall election, was the main focus of the Family Research Institute’s first Wisconsin Pastors’ Summit. About 200 pastor’s and lay leaders attended the summit, held Tuesday May 16, 2006, at the Alliant Energy Center.
"We’re here to fill you up and fire you up," said Julaine Appling, the executive director of the Family Research Institute. "Our goal is to help pastors understand the role of the church in impacting government, and the church’s role as moral gatekeeper." She stressed that the goal was not to turn the church into a political machine.
She noted that there was a variety of theological perspectives present among attendees and said that theology and doctrine were not the issue of the summit. Those who were invited agreed mainly on one thing, that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Though the summit seemed largely made up of evangelical Protestants, attendees included Susanna Herro, who directs the Madison Roman Catholic Diocese office dealing with justice and pastoral outreach. Bishop Robert Morlino has already begun to speak out on his concerns about the Marriage Protection Amendment. (on the web)
"Our Constitution will be amended on this issue one way or another," said Wisconsin State Representative Mark Gundrum (Rep.-New Berlin), the sponsor of the Marriage Protection Amendment. "If we fail, it will be amended by four liberal lawyers in black robes." He predicted that opponents of the amendment would focus on Wisconsin this fall, even though a number of other states face a similar vote.
Supporters of gay marriage often ask, "How does giving us the right to marry hurt you?" Gundrum’s response is that it raises taxes for traditional families when others get tax breaks. But also, "it will radically affect the culture." He’s concerned about the impact on society when children grow up "not seeing marriage as it has been for all time, a place to nurture children."
Gundrum said he did not initiate this battle. "I was anxious to let thousands of years of history continue," he said. But now that it’s begun, he’s doing all he can to mobilize and activate opponents of gay marriage. "I will come and speak to your congregation," he said.
David Barton, the founder and president of Wallbuilders (on the web), told pastors that activism and engaging the issues of the day was common in the early years of the United States. Showing slides of title pages of 19th century sermons on earthquakes, solar eclipses, railroads and the discovery of the planet Uranus, Barton said "whatever was in the news, there were sermons on it." But since 1954, when then Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson inserted into an appropriations bill a prohibition on pastors preaching against the government, congregations have been trained not to expect political sermons.
Barton says legislation in Congress is aimed at getting pastors back their freedom to speak out on political issues. But in the meantime, he encouraged pastors to revive the role that they held in the early years of the republic, shaping the way the people in their congregations viewed the issues of the day.
Barton also presented information from European countries where he said gay marriage has been legalized for a number of years. He said only about two percent of the homosexual population actually married, and the typical marriage lasted 18 months. But the impact in those societies alos included a 42-percent increase in out-of-wedlock births, which impact crime and tax rates. He also noted that in three countries pastors have been jailed for preaching Biblical texts that oppose homosexuality.
Others speakers at the summit included Pastor Ray Pritchard who told the story of a Sunday sermon at his Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois, which was picketed by three gay rights groups. (on the web) "I pastor a red church in a very blue community," he said. "How do you pastor a church in a culture that is moving in a different direction?" He recommended two guiding phrases: "Tenacious winsome courage" plus "Bold truth and sweet grace."
He also recommended that pastors see about amending their own church constitution to say marriage is for one man and one woman, as they get involved in efforts to amend the state constitution.
A news release from the Family Research Institute on this event is available as a pdf file.
– Gordon Govier attends Mad City Church